Snowboarding has become a very popular winter sport, and there have been a myriad of developments with respect to snowboard bindings and basic snowboard technology. As snowboarding has become more popular, snowboarders have also devised expanded types of activities that may be conducted while snowboarding. In addition to simply traversing down a slope, most ski/snowboard areas also have snowboard parks that allow snowboarders to conduct various types of snowboard “tricks”. For example, a snowboard park may include a “grind rail” and a “half-pipe”. In order for a snowboarder to best enjoy both standard snowboarding (traversing down slope) and snowboard parks, a snowboarder must be able to adjust the angle at which the feet are positioned on the snowboard. For traversing down a slope, a snowboarder may wish to have his/her feet positioned at a particular angle with respect to the longitudinal or long axis of the snowboard. When the snowboarder chooses to conduct tricks like at a snowboard park, the snowboarder may wish to place the feet at a more perpendicular angle with respect to the long axis of the snowboard.
Because snowboarders do not use poles like a skier, it is much more difficult for a snowboarder to maneuver over level ground. The most typical way in which a snowboarder moves over level ground is in a “skateboard” fashion. The rear foot is disconnected from the snowboard and is used to push on the ground surface and propel the snowboarder while the front foot remains attached to the snowboard binding. Because the snowboarder's feet are typically mounted at a transverse angle with respect to the long axis of the snowboard, the snowboarders front foot is rotated medially inwards when moving over level ground, which provides great discomfort to the snowboarder, as well as creating a potentially hazardous position for a snowboarder's knee and ankle. It has been documented that prolific snowboarders have increased knee and ankle ailments which can be in part attributed to the medially rotated position of the front foot when traversing over level ground. Unfortunately for the snowboarder, traversing over level ground cannot be avoided because each time the snowboarder uses a ski lift to transport the snowboarder up a mountain, the area around the ski lift is typically flat. Also, further discomfort is experienced by the snowboarder in riding a chairlift because it is difficult to position the snowboard on the foot rest of the chairlift.
A number of references disclose various snowboard bindings to include those which are especially adapted for allowing a snowboarder to rotate the snowboard binding at the desired angle with respect to the long axis of the snowboard. Some examples of these references include the U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,499,837; 5,028,068; 6,290,243; 5,433,636; 5,667,237; 5,890,729; and 5,975,554. While these references may each be adequate for their intended purposes, there are a number of shortcomings with respect to each. One significant shortcoming for some of the references is that they disclose snowboard bindings that are structurally complex, therefore more expensive to manufacture, and are also more prone to malfunction because of the number of moving parts. Another significant shortcoming of the prior art is that any rotational adjustment capability is not provided in a manner that allows the user to quickly and efficiently adjust the rotational position of the binding. For those bindings that are adjustable, many only have a limited number of adjustment positions. Ideally, adjustment of the snowboard binding should be provided in a manner that allows the snowboarder to make adjustments while one's foot remains attached to the binding, and in a manner that allows the snowboarder to use a gloved hand or even use the foot which has been disconnected from the board during traveling over horizontal terrain.
It is well known that snowboard bindings operate in harsh conditions not only in terms of exposure to the elements, but also in terms of stress and strain placed on the binding by the snowboarder. Thus, structurally simple yet reliable bindings are an advantage. Therefore, there is still a need for a snowboard binding which allows quick and efficient adjustment by the snowboarder, yet has a simple and reliable construction which makes the binding economically feasible for manufacture, as well as making the binding easy to maintain in a high state of repair.